Finding Purpose Through Surrender and Commitment to God
Summary
### Summary
Today's message focused on discovering your purpose through surrender and commitment to God. We began by examining Luke 9:23, where Jesus calls us to deny ourselves, take up our cross daily, and follow Him. This call to discipleship is not just about attending church or calling ourselves Christians; it requires a deep, daily commitment to surrender our will to God's will.
Surrendering to God means letting go of our need to control every aspect of our lives and trusting in His plan. This involves daily submission, where we say no to our desires and yes to God's direction. We explored how this surrender brings freedom—freedom from the need to always be right, to always be in control, and to always have the answers. Instead, we find peace and purpose in trusting God.
We also discussed the dangers of being double-minded, as described in James 1:5-8. A double-minded person is unstable and cannot fully receive God's blessings. To truly discover our purpose, we must be single-minded in our commitment to God, avoiding the pitfalls of living one way in church and another way outside.
The message highlighted examples from the Bible, such as Noah, Abraham, Esther, Mary, and Jesus, who all had to surrender their plans and submit to God's will. Their faith was made real through their actions, not just their prayers. Similarly, we must be willing to take radical steps of faith and obedience to discover our God-given purpose.
Finally, we emphasized the importance of community and accountability. Submitting to one another in the fear of God helps us grow and stay on the right path. True leadership begins with being a good follower, and sometimes that means humbling ourselves and allowing others to guide us.
### Key Takeaways
1. Daily Surrender to God: True discipleship requires daily surrender to God's will. This means saying no to our desires and yes to God's direction, trusting that His plan is better than ours. This daily act of submission brings freedom and peace, as we no longer have to be in control of everything. [26:51]
2. Avoiding Double-Mindedness: A double-minded person is unstable and cannot fully receive God's blessings. To discover our purpose, we must be single-minded in our commitment to God, avoiding the pitfalls of living one way in church and another way outside. Stability in faith comes from unwavering trust in God. [30:26]
3. Biblical Examples of Surrender: Figures like Noah, Abraham, Esther, Mary, and Jesus exemplified radical obedience and surrender to God's will. Their faith was made real through their actions, not just their prayers. We must be willing to take similar steps of faith and obedience to discover our God-given purpose. [35:25]
4. Community and Accountability: Submitting to one another in the fear of God helps us grow and stay on the right path. True leadership begins with being a good follower, and sometimes that means humbling ourselves and allowing others to guide us. This mutual submission fosters spiritual growth and stability. [52:13]
5. Trusting God's Plan: Trusting in God's plan means letting go of our need to control every aspect of our lives. This involves daily submission and reliance on God's guidance. When we trust in Him, we find peace, purpose, and direction, knowing that He is our protector and provider. [48:59]
### YouTube Chapters
1. [0:00] - Welcome
2. [24:49] - Reading from Luke 9:23
3. [26:02] - Opening Prayer
4. [26:51] - The Importance of Surrender
5. [27:49] - Daily Submission to God
6. [28:45] - Trusting God's Plan
7. [29:38] - Avoiding Double-Mindedness
8. [30:26] - The Dangers of Double Talk
9. [33:17] - Examples of Double Talk
10. [34:46] - Biblical Examples of Surrender
11. [35:25] - Radical Obedience in the Bible
12. [36:35] - Discovering Your Purpose
13. [37:08] - Commitment to God's Will
14. [38:11] - Realizing Our Need for God
15. [40:14] - The Impact of Sin
16. [42:22] - The Importance of Surrender
17. [43:50] - Submitting to God's Plan
18. [48:59] - Trusting in God's Protection
19. [52:13] - Community and Accountability
20. [55:12] - Humility and Leadership
21. [56:39] - Final Thoughts and Prayer
22. [01:01:02] - Call to Surrender
23. [01:07:51] - Closing Remarks and Announcements
Study Guide
### Bible Reading
1. Luke 9:23-24: "And he said to them all, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me. For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: but whosoever will lose his life for my sake, the same shall save it."
2. James 1:5-8: "If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him. But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed. For let not that man think that he shall receive any thing of the Lord. A double minded man is unstable in all his ways."
### Observation Questions
1. What does Jesus mean when He says to "deny himself and take up his cross daily" in Luke 9:23? [24:49]
2. According to James 1:5-8, what are the consequences of being double-minded? [30:26]
3. How did the sermon describe the freedom that comes from surrendering to God? [27:49]
4. What examples from the Bible were given in the sermon to illustrate radical obedience and surrender to God's will? [34:46]
### Interpretation Questions
1. How does daily surrender to God bring freedom and peace, according to the sermon? [27:49]
2. In what ways can being double-minded affect a person's ability to receive God's blessings? [30:26]
3. How did the biblical figures mentioned in the sermon demonstrate their faith through actions rather than just prayers? [34:46]
4. What role does community and accountability play in helping us stay committed to God's will? [52:13]
### Application Questions
1. Reflect on a time when you struggled to surrender control to God. What was the outcome, and how might you approach a similar situation differently now? [27:49]
2. Identify an area in your life where you might be double-minded. How can you work towards being more single-minded in your commitment to God? [30:26]
3. Think about a specific example from your life where you had to take a radical step of faith. How did it impact your relationship with God? [34:46]
4. How can you actively seek out and participate in a community that holds you accountable in your walk with God? [52:13]
5. What practical steps can you take this week to trust more in God's plan and let go of your need to control every aspect of your life? [48:59]
6. How can you support others in your small group to surrender their lives to God and discover their purpose? [52:13]
7. Reflect on a time when you allowed someone else to guide you in your spiritual journey. How did it help you grow, and how can you be more open to such guidance in the future? [56:39]
Devotional
Day 1: Daily Surrender to God
True discipleship requires daily surrender to God's will. This means saying no to our desires and yes to God's direction, trusting that His plan is better than ours. This daily act of submission brings freedom and peace, as we no longer have to be in control of everything. Surrendering to God means letting go of our need to control every aspect of our lives and trusting in His plan. This involves daily submission, where we say no to our desires and yes to God's direction. We explored how this surrender brings freedom—freedom from the need to always be right, to always be in control, and to always have the answers. Instead, we find peace and purpose in trusting God. [26:51]
Luke 9:23 (ESV): "And he said to all, 'If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.'"
Reflection: What is one area of your life where you find yourself holding back from surrendering to Jesus? What would surrendering this area to Him actually look like in terms of daily habits?
Day 2: Avoiding Double-Mindedness
A double-minded person is unstable and cannot fully receive God's blessings. To discover our purpose, we must be single-minded in our commitment to God, avoiding the pitfalls of living one way in church and another way outside. Stability in faith comes from unwavering trust in God. A double-minded person is unstable and cannot fully receive God's blessings. To truly discover our purpose, we must be single-minded in our commitment to God, avoiding the pitfalls of living one way in church and another way outside. [30:26]
James 1:6-8 (ESV): "But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind. For that person must not suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways."
Reflection: In what ways do you find yourself being double-minded in your faith? How can you take steps to align your actions with your beliefs both inside and outside of church?
Day 3: Biblical Examples of Surrender
Figures like Noah, Abraham, Esther, Mary, and Jesus exemplified radical obedience and surrender to God's will. Their faith was made real through their actions, not just their prayers. We must be willing to take similar steps of faith and obedience to discover our God-given purpose. The message highlighted examples from the Bible, such as Noah, Abraham, Esther, Mary, and Jesus, who all had to surrender their plans and submit to God's will. Their faith was made real through their actions, not just their prayers. Similarly, we must be willing to take radical steps of faith and obedience to discover our God-given purpose. [35:25]
Hebrews 11:7-8 (ESV): "By faith Noah, being warned by God concerning events as yet unseen, in reverent fear constructed an ark for the saving of his household. By this he condemned the world and became an heir of the righteousness that comes by faith. By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to a place that he was to receive as an inheritance. And he went out, not knowing where he was going."
Reflection: Think of a time when you felt God calling you to take a step of faith. How did you respond, and what can you learn from that experience to apply to your current walk with God?
Day 4: Community and Accountability
Submitting to one another in the fear of God helps us grow and stay on the right path. True leadership begins with being a good follower, and sometimes that means humbling ourselves and allowing others to guide us. This mutual submission fosters spiritual growth and stability. Submitting to one another in the fear of God helps us grow and stay on the right path. True leadership begins with being a good follower, and sometimes that means humbling ourselves and allowing others to guide us. [52:13]
Ephesians 5:21 (ESV): "Submitting to one another out of reverence for Christ."
Reflection: Who in your community can you turn to for spiritual accountability? How can you foster a relationship of mutual submission and growth with them?
Day 5: Trusting God's Plan
Trusting in God's plan means letting go of our need to control every aspect of our lives. This involves daily submission and reliance on God's guidance. When we trust in Him, we find peace, purpose, and direction, knowing that He is our protector and provider. Trusting in God's plan means letting go of our need to control every aspect of our lives. This involves daily submission and reliance on God's guidance. When we trust in Him, we find peace, purpose, and direction, knowing that He is our protector and provider. [48:59]
Proverbs 3:5-6 (ESV): "Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths."
Reflection: What is one area of your life where you struggle to trust God's plan? How can you practice letting go and allowing God to guide you in this area today?
Quotes
1. "Now, the word surrender or submission is not clearly seen in the presentation of the gospel, unless you really begin to study God's word. But it becomes, you see, something that it firmly impacts how we develop in Christ Jesus. It's something that we develop in Christ Jesus. It's something that as we begin to realize that if you don't begin to let God in your heart and surrender to him, it will impact how you get to know Christ." [26:02] (28 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
2. "You've got to get to the place where you begin to realize that I must live for God. In fact, when we begin to really surrender ourselves and say, God, be my Lord and Savior, it presents to us many freedoms. The first one is to surrender. The freedom to not always be in charge. The freedom to care about others and what they need. The freedom to not always be right. And the freedom just to trust in God to take care of you." [27:49] (31 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
3. "Some people say they love God. But they don't live for God. Some people say they're Christians. But they don't depend upon God's helping them. Some say that they're Christians. But they live totally one way in the church. And another way outside. Outside the church. This is called double talk. This is called double talk." [29:38] (28 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
4. "You have to get to the place that you realize, I need to trust in God. See, those that don't trust in God to help them, and those that are trying to wait until they understand fully the situation, they never truly connect with God and the plan of God because they do not trust in God. I trust in God. Sometimes I have no idea what God's getting ready to do on a Sunday morning." [32:19] (23 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
5. "You have to have a conviction. I want to do this. I'm going to go in this direction. And when it comes to discovering your purpose, you've got to submit to the plan of God. See, submitting to the plan of God isn't always just praying and showing up in church. All through the Word of God, we've seen men and women that were great in the Word of God, people that we should begin looking to as an example. But they did more than pray a prayer and show up in the tabernacle." [34:01] (35 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
6. "Every one of these, their faith and the path was made real by doing more than just praying. They had to walk the walk. They had to convict themselves, or have the conviction, I'm going to do it this way. Even when marriage was trying to figure it out, yet the Holy Ghost has said this, and so this is the way it's going to be. Jesus himself said, I came down from heaven not to do my own will, but the will of him, him that sent me." [36:07] (29 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
7. "What means is, to show that you're going to go to heaven, is because you commit to the very purpose of God and his will for your life. When you surrender, he said, deny yourself and come pick up your cross and follow me. This is how you discover your purpose. Now, one of the first things you have to begin to do is submit to Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior. You have to admit and give him full allegiance as he's the one that's now going to be your leader." [37:08] (33 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
8. "You have to get to the place that you realize I'll never discover who I'm supposed to be as long as I keep on thinking it's just a small deal. I can keep on saying I'm a Christian. I can still keep on coming to church when I get around to it, but I can still do what I want to do. At some point, you've got to realize you're in the singing to do his will, not your will. You've got to say, God, help me. Temptation's calling. God, my mindset's going this way. I have to put all of that on hold." [43:18] (29 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
9. "You have to learn to submit yourself to his will, and do what he wants you to do. And this is the hardest thing, because it's not normal. It's not natural. It's something that you have to learn to say, wait a minute. And before you get mad at something, before you get frustrated, before you say whatever it is that just comes to your mind, the first thing that comes to your mind is probably not the nicest thing. Come on now." [47:21] (24 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
10. "You have to find yourself under submission to God, taking his yoke upon you. We all wear the yoke of something. We find ourselves under the power of something. Your boss, your family, your own pride, self-righteousness. We find ourselves under that power, and they begin to lead us. But Jesus says, take my yoke upon you. My yoke is easy. Now, here's the honest thing here. Ready for this? Biblical teaching here. He will not share you with something else. He will not share you with anything else. He wants to lead you." [45:59] (47 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
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